HIGHLIGHTS

• The Mumbai Police  arrested venture capital investor Mahesh Murthy on Feb 9th
• The police arrested the investor after a woman entrepreneur from Delhi approached the Delhi Police.
• Murthy had allegedly sent derogatory and obscene messages to the woman on social media.

• Mahesh Murthy arrested on sexual harassment charges, gets bail

  PRIYANKA PANIT+ T-

  

  A file photo of Mahesh Murthy

  Delhi-based woman complained to the National Commission of Women (NCW) against the investor

   

  Well-known startup investor and managing partner of Seedfund Mahesh Murthy who was arrested on Friday by the Mumbai Police in connection with an alleged sexual harassment case filed in December last year has been released on bail.

  Murthy, in a post on Twitter, said:  “I received anticipatory bail in this case some time ago. I am told its a procedural technical arrest and I have already been released on the bail granted earlier. This is exactly the same issue on which I had filed a case earlier and where the Delhi high court had already passed an interim order in my favour and against the complainant back in April 2017. I believe this is an attempt to counter-sue. I will fight this too in court to defend my reputation to the fullest of my ability,” Murthy said in his post.

  Mahesh Murthy

  ✔@maheshmurthy

  To all: the hon’ble court granted me anticipatory bail in this case some time ago. I am told it was a procedural technical arrest and I have already been released on surety.

  (1/n)

  8:24 PM – Feb 9, 2018

  Murthy, a serial entreprenuer and an angel investor, was arrested in Khar, Mumbai, after a Delhi-based woman complained to the National Commission of Women (NCW) against the investor for sexually harassing and stalking her on social media last year. The NCW had then registered a case against Murthy on December 30, 2017.

  NCW had also written to Maharashtra’s Director General of Police regarding the alleged use of objectionable, derogatory and sexual remarks and obscene signs by the investor on social media platforms against the complainant and several other women in the past including famous author Rashmi Bansal, who has penned down several books on the Indian startup ecosystem and entreprenuers and a government officer.

  The 52 year-old Murthy is a Engineering drop out and started his career as a salesman for Eureka Forbes before moving on to become the country head at Channel V in 1999.

  As an investor he has helped several smaller startups by providing then seedfund through his early-stage investment firm Seedfund along with Bharati Jacob and Pravin Gandhi.

  Murthy rose to fame following his exit from RedBus in 2013 where he is understood to have made his millions. He has also invested in startups such as CarWale, Afaqs, News Laundary, Chumbak, Doolaly amongst others.

  Murthy, who was also the biggest critic of the e-commerce sector, is known to have criticised and slammed companies such as Flipkart and Snapdeal on social media and public platforms.